Shows how attack journalism, attempts to discredit politicians due to personal behavior, has diverted the public's attention from real issues, discouraged worthy candidates, and damaged the press itself

This work examines the role and influence of the media in every sphere of American politics. Organized thematically, the book analyzes the relationship between the media and key institutions, political actors and nongovernmental entities, as well as the role of the new media, media ethics and foreign policy coverage. Written by leading scholars in the field, the chapters serve as broad overviews to the issues while discussion questions and suggestions for further reading encourage deeper inquiry. Designed to complement a wide variety of classes the book is a look at the pervasive influence of the media in American society.

Direct democracy is growing in the form of statewide ballot initiatives. This work assesses the health of the intitiative process through the insights of initiative scholars, journalists, and political consultants across America.

The Persistence of Corruption in American PoliticsAuthor: Larry SabatoPublisher: Crown PublishersISBN: 9780812924992Category: Social SciencePage: 430View: 8710

An in-depth analysis of American political corruption reveals how politicians are manipulating, evading, and breaking the law to stay in power; explains how money affects elections; and describes the rise to power of Newt Gingrich and the activities of GOPAC and the Christian Coalition. 50,000 first printing. Tour.

Media and Politics in an Age of ScandalAuthor: Larry J. Sabato,S. Robert Lichter,Mark StencelPublisher: Rowman & LittlefieldISBN: 9780742500112Category: Political SciencePage: 208View: 8266

The line dividing public life and private behavior in American politics is more blurred than ever. When it comes to questions about sex, substance abuse, and family life, anything goes on the political desk in many newsrooms, including uncorroborated hearsay disguised as news. Peepshow looks behind the scenes at news coverage of political scandals, analyzing what gets reported, what doesn't, and why. The authors talk with top news editors to get a fix on what will make the evening news and what we're likely to read about in the next campaign season.

The midterm contests for the Senate, House of Representatives, and 36 governorships produced drama aplenty in 2002. A tragic plane crash killed a U.S. senator just ten days before the election, casting his state into mourning and political confusion. Another senator, losing in his reelection bid because of corruption, chose to withdraw in mid-campaign. The president's own brother was involved in a knock-down, drag-out campaign for reelection in the state that installed the current White House occupant by a grand total of 537 votes. But more than anything, the 2002 midterm elections featured a titanic struggle between the political parties for control of Congress. Both houses were narrowly divided in the so-called '50-50' America produced by the split 2000 presidential election. Which party, if either, would emerge with the spoils of war? In the end, there was no landslide, but there was a clear victor: the Republicans. And the colossus of 2002 was President George W. Bush, the driving force behind the historic GOP triumph. Firmly securing the House and recapturing the Senate gives Bush an unusual opportunity in American politics - to be stronger in the second half of his term than the first. Through a superb team of academics and journalists led by Dr. Larry J. Sabato, Midterm Madness: The Elections of 2002 analyzes and dissects this fascinating election season.

A More Perfect Constitution presents creative and dynamic proposals from one of the most visionary and fertile political minds of our time to reinvigorate our Constitution and American governance at a time when such change is urgently needed, given the growing dysfunction and unfairness of our political system . Combining idealism and pragmatism, and with full respect for the original document, Larry Sabato's thought-provoking ideas range from the length of the president's term in office and the number and terms of Supreme Court justices to the vagaries of the antiquated Electoral College, and a compelling call for universal national service-all laced through with the history behind each proposal and the potential impact on the lives of ordinary people. Aware that such changes won't happen easily, but that the original Framers fully expected the Constitution to be regularly revised, Sabato urges us to engage in the debate and discussion his ideas will surely engender. During a presidential election year, no book is more relevant or significant than this.

In his presidential inaugural address of January 1965, Lyndon Johnson offered an uplifting vision for America, one that would end poverty and racial injustice. Elected in a landslide over the conservative Republican Barry Goldwater and bolstered by the so-called liberal consensus, economic prosperity, and a strong wave of nostalgia for his martyred predecessor, John Kennedy, Johnson announced the most ambitious government agenda in decades. Three years later, everything had changed. Johnson's approval ratings had plummeted; the liberal consensus was shattered; the war in Vietnam splintered the nation; and the politics of civil rights had created a fierce white backlash. A report from the National Committee for an Effective Congress warned of a "national nervous breakdown." The election of 1968 was immediately caught up in a swirl of powerful forces, and the nine men who sought the nation's highest office that year attempted to ride them to victory-or merely survive them. On the Democratic side, Eugene McCarthy energized the anti-war movement; George Wallace spoke to the working-class white backlash; Robert Kennedy took on the mantle of his slain brother. Entangled in Vietnam, Johnson, stunningly, opted not to run again, scrambling the odds. On the Republican side, 1968 saw the vindication of Richard Nixon, who outhustled Nelson Rockefeller, Ronald Reagan and George Romney, by navigating between the conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party. The assassinations of first Martin Luther King, Jr., and then Kennedy seemed to push the country to the brink of chaos, a chaos reflected in the Democratic Convention in Chicago, a televised horror show. Vice President Hubert Humphrey emerged as the nominee, and, finally liberating himself from Johnson's grip, nearly overcame the lead long enjoyed by Nixon who, by exploiting division and channeling the national yearning for order, would be the last man standing. In American Maelstrom, Michael A. Cohen captures the full drama of this watershed election, establishing 1968 as the hinge between the decline of political liberalism, the ascendancy of conservative populism, and the rise of anti-government attitudes that continue to dominate the nation's political discourse. In this sweeping and immersive book, equal parts compelling analysis and thrilling narrative, Cohen takes us to the very source of our modern politics of division.

This comprehensive, trusted core text on media's impact on attitudes, behavior, elections, politics, and policymaking is known for its readable introduction to the literature and theory of the field. Mass Media and American Politics, Tenth Edition is thoroughly updated to reflect major structural changes that have shaken the world of political news, including the impact of the changing media landscape. It includes timely examples of the significance of these changes pulled from the 2016 election cycle. Written by Doris A. Graber—a scholar who has played an enormous role in establishing and shaping the field of mass media and American politics—and Johanna Dunaway, this book sets the standard.

This new volume contains all the material a reader needs to understand the American election process and its political parties. This complete A-to-Z reference guide covers the people, events, and terms involved in the electoral process. It also provides the history of elections in the United States, focusing primarily on the presidential elections. Appendix material includes the results for every presidential election.

Effectively using the themes of power and citizenship, Christine Barbour and Gerald C. Wright explain how and why institutions and rules determine who wins and who loses in American politics. Whether you get your news from a popular blog or a traditional media outlet, this book models critical thinking and provides the tools you need to be a savvy consumer of political information. And with your purchase of this Media Edition, you get FREE access to an enhanced eBook, which includes links to audio, video, data, articles, historical background, profiles, and CQ Researcher policy reports that bring depth and interactivity to the book Keeping the Republic is filled with phenomenal resources that help students fully engage in the text. It is well written and extremely substantive. Students rave about the graphics, pictures, and other visuals that help guide them as they understand the material. The transitions from topic to topic are smooth and clear, and the real-world applications are also extremely well done. A terrific textbook for intro students, and a great foundation for budding political scientists."---Alison Dagnes, Shippensburg university "Keeping the Republic presents the information in a balanced and visually appealing style that gets, and keeps, students reading and engaged with the content. The graphics and `Don't Be Fooled By...' features are well above the competition. The online instructor resources are excellent." ---Gary A. Johnson, Weber State University "The political science faculty at our Virginia state university have utilized Keeping the Republic for many years. Barbour and Wright offer current and helpful pedagogical features that encourage class discussion and reinforce the students' understanding of critical information. The text's organization offers a useful means of breaking down the semester-length course, and my students genuinely like the layout of the text."---Peter M. Carlson, Christopher Newport University "Keeping the Republic simplifies complicated concepts without losing the key points. Students find the book easy to read and well organized for study. The book is especially well suited for the non-political science major and works well for large-sized sections or for online courses. The `Thinking Outside the Box' questions, along with the helpful test bank, encourage discussion in class or in online forums."---Donald S. Inbody, Texas State University "Keeping the Republic holds the attention of my students better than books I have used in the past. I like to include as much pop culture as I can in the teaching of my class, and this book is the best one I have found that makes an effort to do the same."---Norman Rodriguez, John Wood Community College "What's at stake? This book repeats that question over and over. It defines a perspective that makes Keeping the Republic meaningful to all students of American government. Citizenship is a skill, and this text approaches government from the point of view of the citizen. It asks the reader to be critical, not in the sense that government is necessarily the problem, but rather in asking how government structure and operations can be improved to enhance the lives of the citizens of the United States, of which the reader is one. And, importantly, the book requires the reader to confront the question of what role and responsibility do I, the citizen, have. By default, the approach pulls the student in and makes the student a partner in the book and its conclusions."---John P. McIver, University of Texas, Austin "I continue to assign Keeping the Republic because the authors do a great job of keeping students engaged. There are many features that make this text more interesting to students---like the `Profiles in Citizenship' in each chapter that explain how individual Americans take an active part in politics. These profiles provide interesting personal narratives about why citizenship and participation matter while also reinforcing chapter material." ---Jason D. Mycoff, University of Delaware

The Encyclopedia of Political Communication discusses the major theoretical approaches to the field, including direct and limited effects theories, agenda-setting theories, sociological theories, framing and priming theories, and other past and present conceptualizations. With nearly 600 entries, this resource pays considerable attention to important political messages such as political speeches, televised political advertising, political posters and print advertising, televised political debates, and Internet sites. The audiences for political communications are also central, necessitating concentration on citizen reactions to political messages, how the general public and voters in democratic systems respond to political messages, and the effects of all types of media and message types.

The Political Pundits surveys in detail the small, elite group of persons who comment on and analyze politics in newspapers and newsmagazines, on political media. Dan Nimmo and James E. Combs discuss the key political role pundits play, their methods and strategies, and the potential danger they present to American political life. American democracy is being transformed into a punditocracy, which replaces serious citizen debate with discussion guided by show business values. Punditry, Nimmo and Combs argue, produces symbolic rather than effective healing of political ills, political paternalism rather than political reflection, and, in the end, public disenchantment with politics.

Late deciders go for the challenger; turnout helps the Democrats; the gender gap results from a surge in Democratic preference among women--these and many other myths are standard fare among average citizens, political pundits, and even some academics. But are these conventional wisdoms--familiar to anyone who watches Sunday morning talk shows--really valid? Unconventional Wisdom offers a novel yet highly accessible synthesis of what we know about American voters and elections. It not only provides an integrated overview of the central themes in American politics--parties, polarization, turnout, partisan bias, campaign effects, swing voters, the gender gap, and the youth vote--it upends many of our fundamental preconceptions. Most importantly, it shows that the American electorate is much more stable than we have been led to believe, and that the voting patterns we see today have deep roots in our history. Throughout, the book provides comprehensive information on voting patterns; illuminates (and corrects) popular myths about voters and elections; and details the empirical foundations of conventional wisdoms that many understand poorly or not at all. Written by three experts on American politics, Unconventional Wisdom serves as both a standard reference and a concise overview of the subject. Both informative and witty, the book is likely to become a standard work in the field, essential reading for anyone interested in American politics.

The Post-Watergate Investigations of the CIA and FBIAuthor: Kathryn S. OlmstedPublisher: Univ of North Carolina PressISBN: 080786370XCategory: HistoryPage: 272View: 1984

Just four months after Richard Nixon's resignation, New York Times reporter Seymour Hersh unearthed a new case of government abuse of power: the CIA had launched a domestic spying program of Orwellian proportions against American dissidents during the Vietnam War. The country's best investigative journalists and members of Congress quickly mobilized to probe a scandal that seemed certain to rock the foundations of this secret government. Subsequent investigations disclosed that the CIA had plotted to kill foreign leaders and that the FBI had harassed civil rights and student groups. Some called the scandal 'son of Watergate.' Many observers predicted that the investigations would lead to far-reaching changes in the intelligence agencies. Yet, as Kathryn Olmsted shows, neither the media nor Congress pressed for reforms. For all of its post-Watergate zeal, the press hesitated to break its long tradition of deference in national security coverage. Congress, too, was unwilling to challenge the executive branch in national security matters. Reports of the demise of the executive branch were greatly exaggerated, and the result of the 'year of intelligence' was a return to the status quo. American History/Journalism

How is the relationship between the Japanese state and Japanese society mediated by the press? Does the pervasive system of press clubs, and the regulations underlying them, alter or even censor the way news is reported in Japan? Who benefits from the press club system? And who loses? Here Laurie Anne Freeman examines the subtle, highly interconnected relationship between journalists and news sources in Japan. Beginning with a historical overview of the relationship between the press, politics, and the public, she describes how Japanese press clubs act as "information cartels," limiting competition among news organizations and rigidly structuring relations through strict rules and sanctions. She also shows how the web of interrelations extends into, and is reinforced by, media industry associations and business groups (keiretsu). Political news and information are conveyed to the public in Japan, but because of institutional constraints, they are conveyed in a highly delimited fashion that narrows the range of societal inquiry into the political process. Closing the Shop shows us how the press system in Japan serves as neither a watchdog nor a lapdog. Nor does the state directly control the press in ways Westerners might think of as censorship. The level of interconnectedness, through both official and unofficial channels, helps set the agenda and terms of political debate in Japan's mass media to an extent that is unimaginable to many in the United States and other advanced industrial democracies. This fascinating look at Japan's information cartels provides a critical but often overlooked explanation for the overall power and autonomy enjoyed by the Japanese state.

Beginning with an analysis of cultural themes and ending with a discussion of evolving and expanding political and corporate institutions, The Columbia History of Post-World War II America addresses changes in America's response to the outside world; the merging of psychological states and social patterns in memorial culture, scandal culture, and consumer culture; the intersection of social practices and governmental policies; the effect of technological change on society and politics; and the intersection of changing belief systems and technological development, among other issues. Many had feared that Orwellian institutions would crush the individual in the postwar era, but a major theme of this book is the persistence of individuality and diversity. Trends toward institutional bigness and standardization have coexisted with and sometimes have given rise to a countervailing pattern of individualized expression and consumption. Today Americans are exposed to more kinds of images and music, choose from an infinite variety of products, and have a wide range of options in terms of social and sexual arrangements. In short, they enjoy more ways to express their individuality despite the ascendancy of immense global corporations, and this volume imaginatively explores every facet of this unique American experience.

Poverty and Profit in the American CityAuthor: Matthew DesmondPublisher: CrownISBN: 0553447432Category: POLITICAL SCIENCEPage: 418View: 9017

A Harvard sociologist examines the challenge of eviction as a formidable cause of poverty in America, revealing how millions of people are wrongly forced from their homes and reduced to cycles of extreme disadvantage that are reinforced by dysfunctional legal systems. Set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.